Al Hilal 3 Birmingham 0: Colin Tattum's pre-season verdict

THE bald statistics of Blues’ stay in Austria make pretty sober reading: three games, three defeats, no goals.

THE bald statistics of Blues’ stay in Austria make pretty sober reading: three games, three defeats, no goals.

As a portent of things to come in the Premier League, it would be wrong to start thinking of Doomsday scenarios.

Nevertheless, Alex McLeish has a fair bit to iron out with settling on what shape suits best, as he himself says, and formulating a more dynamic approach that provides chances, whilst not losing any obduracy, as prime requirements.

The squad have certainly been getting the fitness in the bank; they’ve done plenty of lung-busting stuff in Westendorf and taken on a tough match schedule, possibly too demanding given the early stage they are at in pre-season.

Last night, at the Steinbergstadion, Leogang, it was clear again that Blues are not yet crisp and sharp in their play, the legs remain heavy, and errors remain.

Yet this was not really a 3-0 caning.

Blues had enough of the match and there were near misses aplenty in the second-half against the most popular and most honoured Saudi Arabian side.

They included former Spurs defender Lee Young Pyo, Rumanian international Matei Radoi and the Brazilian playmaker Thiago Neves, once of Hamburg. Al Hilal were technically accomplished and liked to play quick, short passes.

They took the lead in the 23rd minute when Mohammad Almahyani struck a first-time shot across Joe Hart from inside the penalty area after Blues were caught out down the left.

Blues, who started with James McFadden and Garry O’Connor up front and Lee Carsley and Barry Ferguson in central midfield, didn’t threaten much in the opening period.

McLeish made six substitutions at half-time and the clever, skilful probings of Keith Fahey on the right allied to Lee Bowyer’s determination to help pin Al Hilal back by getting forward quickly revamped their performance. Al Hilal had to defend manfully and they always were quick to exploit gaps or mistakes on the break.

With his first touch after coming on, Roger Johnson put a diving header not far away and Al Hilal had Mohammed Aldossary to thank in quick succession in the 71st minute.

He flung himself into the path of Martin Taylor’s close range effort and then, after the ball was scrambled to the edge of the penalty area, he got in the way of a Fahey piledriver and glanced it up and over the crossbar.

Gary McSheffrey was inches away from scoring with a carefully flighted free-kick and it seemed as if a goal was never going to come.

As is often the way in such situations, Blues were hurt by rapier thrusts from Al Hilal on the counter-attack. Possession was lost, Mohammed Alshalhoub stroked the ball through to Mohammed Alsuwailh who stuck his shot between Maik Taylor’s legs in the 81st minute.

Blues responded through Roger Johnson, yet when his header was cleared off the goal-line by Lee, Al Hilal promptly charged down the other end and scored again. Osama Hawsawi let rip after his thunderous run and Maik Taylor beat the ball out and as players converged for the rebound Stephen Carr was penalised for pushing on the back of Abdulaziz Aldawsari and Alshalhoub slotted in the penalty (85).

The frustration of the pair of late blows which put a flattering gloss on the scoreline was clear among the Blues players, as was the fact that they know they have not fired on all cylinders during this tour, only in patches.